Monday, November 12, 2007

Crocheted this up last night, using up scraps in my yarn basket. I think it'll make a cute pin cushion. The pattern is from BitterSweet, here.

Plus, I have made some progress on the Shetland Triangle. I'm using Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud in the color "Iris." I thought this colorway was more brownish originally, but now that I have given it a good look, I realize that it's much more purple. I think this is a good thing, because I'm making this for my mom and she had a brown/purple scarf that she wore for years when I was a kid.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

That's right, I cast off on the last of my three Highland Triangle shawls this morning. Two of them need blocking, but they are so huge that I'm waiting until I visit my parents so I can block them in their huge living room. This pattern gets my hearty thumbs up for not driving me insane after knitting it three times in a year.

I promptly began a Shetland Triangle shawl for my mother this afternoon. I'm looking forward to having a different lace pattern to occupy my time!

Sunday, November 04, 2007

I saw Michael Clayton yesterday. It is an impressive movie. Although it deals with a corrupt corporation, it's not trying to send a message about corporate America. It's just a well-crafted business/legal thriller. The leads, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and Tom Wilkinson, give understated and realistic performances that form the core of the film. If they weren't there, the movie probably wouldn't work. This is the directorial debut of Tony Gilroy, who also wrote the script. He clearly knows his way around thrillers, having written the three Bourne Movies (though I've heard that Paul Greengrass pushed a lot of improvisation during The Bourne Ultimatum). What I found most compelling about this movie was its attention to detail. They put Clayton (Clooney) in a Mercedes, a very "old money" car, but he's only leasing it. It's as if he's trying to exude classy swank, but that's not actually who he is. Clayton is also always well-dressed, but during one scene, you can see the creases in his shirt created by packing it in his luggage. He tries to look well-pressed and perfect, but he's actually living his life from day to day, out of his suitcase. There were times while I was watching the movie that I felt bored, and I wasn't sure what the movie was trying to do. But as I neared the end of the film, I realized that this bored, unattached feeling was exactly what the movie wanted to create, because it lulls you into a place of security. Then with the conclusion, that security is ripped forcefully away.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Mike always tells me that "bind off" sounds like the name of a bad Steven Segal movie. As I'm knitting, I will tell Mike, "hey, I'm almost to the bind off," and he yells "THE BIND OFF!!" in reply. This has been going on for months now.

Weird stories aside, I am working on the bind off ("THE BIND OFF!!") on Highland Triangle #3. It seems like the closer I get to finishing this project, the farther away the finishing line gets. But fear not, I am persevering!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

As promised, I now have pictures graciously provided by Taylor of her wearing the mitts I made her. The first two are of her at a reenactment at Saratoga, also showing off the beautiful wool cloak she made for herself. The last one is of her carrying firewood at a reenactment at Kingston. It's so great to see these mitts in action! Enjoy!